A variety of latches are used on aircraft to retain various components of the aircraft in a locked condition under circumstances such as flight and storage of the aircraft. During maintenance or repair periods the latches must operate to unlock the corresponding panel, cowling or other device from the aircraft. For example, upon a cowling the latch is disengaged to allow the cowling to be operated away from the engine components which it houses. The cowling, once opened, allows the aircraft maintenance professional to access the engine components. At the end of the repair event the cowling is closed. The latch is used to lock the cowling in the closed condition to retain the engine components in the housed condition.
As an additional matter, the maintenance professional may use a device to “clip” the latches closed to keep them from projecting out from the aircraft body or housing. The latches are clipped in a closed or lower profile position to prevent the latches from becoming bumped or from bumping the maintenance professional. Clipping the latches does not necessarily close or lock the latch but allows the latch to be maintained in a much lower profile against the aircraft housing or body. Since the latches are in a lower profile configuration, they reduce the chance of the maintenance professional bumping into them either with his body or with a piece of equipment. This can be useful to protect the latches as well as the maintenance professional. However, clipped latches can inadvertently appear to be locked and as such may fail to be locked. Additionally, even if the latches are operated to attempt to lock them a potential issue with the latch mechanism might interfere with complete locking and as such could inadvertently unlatch during operation. It would be desirable to develop a system and assembly to be used with a latch to help provide assurances that the latch will, in fact, be closed and locked in the proper position.
This background information is provided to provide some information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present disclosure. No admission is intended, nor is such an admission to be inferred or construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present disclosure. Other aims, objects, advantages and features of the disclosure will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.